Liverpool boss Arne Slot headed to enemy territory in midweek to see Bruce Springsteen in concert at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, ahead of Sunday’s Premier League finale
Liverpool fans reckon Arne Slot has been ‘boss’ this season – so it was fitting that the Dutchman spent an evening during the week watching Bruce Springsteen.
Slot ventured into enemy territory to see the 75-year-old rock legend produce a three-hour spectacular of his hits at Manchester’s Co-op Live, the new 23,000-capacity arena built a hundred yards away from the Etihad Stadium. It’s typical of Slot’s mentality that he was able to take something from the show that might come in handy when he tries to bring more Glory Days to Anfield next season.
The Kop boss has admitted that from the first day of pre-season training in July he will be calling on Virgil van Dijk and Co to once again be Tougher Than the Rest. Slot said: “I’ve heard what Springsteen does during his daily life to be able to do what he does. Talking about people having good habits!
“Springsteen, at 75, is still able to do three hours on stage without even one minute of rest. I think he took three or four drinks – of what I assume was water. I know how disciplined he is to achieve this because I was with someone who knows him.
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“I like his music and I can sing ‘Born in the USA’ – but I can’t sing every song.
“But what I recognised is that people are as passionate about Bruce Springsteen as our fans are about Liverpool. I like to watch the joy he gives his fans and the joy our players give the fans at Anfield – so that is a great comparison.”
Van Dijk will become the first Liverpool captain since Alan Hansen in 1990 to collect the championship trophy in front of the Anfield fans – and it will be Hansen who hands over the honours.
Liverpool have taken just one point from three games since sealing the title – and Slot wants his team to turn on the style against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in a fixture that will be repeated in the Community Shield at Wembley in August. The Reds’ boss reckons he will only need to look into the eyes of his players on the first day of pre-season training to see if they have the same hunger to go again.
But he doesn’t agree that Liverpool will find it tougher to retain their crown next year – because he feels clubs already treat their games against the Merseysiders as cup finals.
Slot said: “I will get a first insight on the first day of pre-season training of where we are mentality wise to see if we are serial winners.
“People will say ‘how can you judge on one day, it’s impossible?’ But it will give me a sign of where we are because it will be a test of how much they have all done in the off-season.
“I will get a first insight of where we are mentality wise to see if we are serial winners. But I don’t think it will be harder next season when we are champions because Liverpool is always a big game. It is the same for us when City arrive or Chelsea arrive or Arsenal arrives.
“Have I missed a club? Maybe Manchester United but, because of their current situation it might be a bit different, but maybe yes. With these clubs it is always so loud and everybody looks forward to it.
“If we had finished third or fourth this season, it wouldn’t have changed that when Liverpool play anywhere in Europe, the world or England then everybody looks forward to it.”
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